In Ninh Binh you can find the most authentic and rural side of Vietnam. There is hardly any traffic, the streets are wide and not too much tourists yet, making the province very peaceful.
Apart from boasting with wonderful natural landscapes, Ninh Binh is representative for its rural villages with lush green rice fields.
Escape the hustling Saigon and busy Hanoi by visiting this place to have the real Vietnam experience.
- Highlights
- Points of interest
- Things to do
- Transportation
- Dining
- Shopping
- Nightlife
1. Highlights
- Visit the ‘Halong Bay’ in land with many limestone cliffs spread over the rice fields.
- Explore Trang An Landscape Complex which is filled with temples, valleys, caves and limestone karsts.
- One of Vietnam’s most beautiful churches: Phat Diem Cathedral, inspired by the Western architect
- Located far away in the mountains is The Bird Garden of Nham Valley where trees are full with all types of birds
- Cuc Phuong’s Botanical Garden and Endangered Primate Rescue Center
2. Points of interest
3. Things to do
- Boat trips in Trang An
- Motorbike through the area
- Temple visits
- Cycle along the rice fields
- Bird-watching at Nham Valley
4. Transportation
From Hanoi you can get to Ninh Binh by train. The travel time takes approximately three hours and a one-way ticket will cost VND 70,000-150,000, depending on the class and seat area.
Another option is by bus, departing from Giap Bat or My Dinh station. The price for a ticket starts at VND 70,000 and the journey will take around two hours.
At Giap Bat station, there are regular buses leaving every fifteen minutes. Keep in mind that the tickets should be bought in the office or else you will have to pay more.
By car, a taxi drive costs at least VND 1,600,000 departing from Hanoi and VND 2,000,000 from Noi Bai international airport with a journey of 2/2.5 hours.
5. Dining
Goat meat is one of the most famous specialty in Ninh Binh. On limestone mountains the goats are nourished naturally which makes their meat firm.
If you eat it together with local fresh leaves that is when the dish tastes the best. Kim Son sticky wine, eel vermicelli and ‘Com Chay’ (burned rice) are also must eat dishes.
Com Chay is made from cooked rice with beef and pig’s meat crushed into slices.
After it has cooled down, they are fried in a pan until turning yellow.
6. Shopping
Shopping in local or flea markets of Ninh Binh will not disappoint you. Cho Rong (dragon market) is the most known flea market.
The booths include authentic clothes, accessories and gifts. For the foodies, there are carts full with delicious local food.
Modern shopping centers such as Big C, Tam Hang Plaza and Dong Thanh Plaza offers you products you could find in your hometown too.
7. Nightlife
When people are planning their trip to Ninh Binh, they do not think about the nightlife. In fact, the tourists rather enjoy the natural environment by daylight and go to bed early. Naturally, there are one or two local pubs and karaoke where you can join with the residents